Archive for year: 2015

What are Omega 3 fatty acids?

Omega-3 fatty acids, also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), play a crucial role in brain function, as well as normal growth and development. Omega-3 fats include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are typically found in fish and fish oil. Some plant-based foods, including flaxseeds, walnuts and chia seeds, also contain omega-3 in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which also helps heart health.

Why is Omega 3 good for you?

Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for human health, but our bodies can’t make them. Research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA found in fish oil can help lower triglycerides, cholesterol and blood pressure. Some studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may help with other conditions, including improving immune function, allergic reactions, rheumatoid arthritis, depression, asthma, ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease and many more.

Problems with fish oil supplements and fish consumption

When I was a kid, the main source of fish in my diet was occasional ‘fish and chips’ (typically on a Friday night), with the fish being shark-meat (‘flake’) fried in batter; tinned sardines, or tuna casserole. ‘Fish oil’ was unknown as a dietary supplement then, and it was only relatively recently that fish oil became marketed as an essential part of a healthy diet.

Fish and Krill oil supplements are big business, and are the main dietary source of omega 3 fatty acids for most people. Sales of fish oil supplements reached $1.1 billion in the U.S. in 2010, up 11%, according to Nutrition Business Journal. A report by a market research firm in 2012 predicted that global retail omega 3 sales was predicted to reach $34.7 billion by 2016.

But before we all swallow the line that fish oil is some sort of ‘super food’, is there a downside? The short answer is ‘yes’ – there are many problems with consuming fish and fish oil!

High Fish diets do no favors for your heart

A Forbes Magazine article  referred to a large study conducted at McMaster University which raised questions about whether consumption of fish oil has any effect on preventing heart attacks at all. In this large study, the 6,281 patients who took fish oil were no more or less likely to die from cardiovascular causes than the 6,255 who received a placebo. The study found that consumption of fish oil did not lead to fewer heart attacks, fewer strokes, fewer hospitalizations for heart problems, fewer stent procedures, or less chest pain.

According to a study in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, diets high in fish do not promote a healthy heart, and may increase risk of heart disease.

The diets and health of Eskimos and Inuits in Greenland and North America were analysed by researchers in a review of ten different studies. Researchers found that Eskimos in Greenland have similar rates of heart disease, an overall mortality rate twice as high, and a life expectancy 10 years shorter, compared with non-Eskimos. Compared with non-native populations, North American Inuits have similar if not higher rates of heart disease.

The authors conclusion was that an “Eskimo diet” has previously been wrongly identified as heart healthy and that such a high-fat diet is better labelled dangerous.

Melissa Breyer from the Mother Nature Network writes: “although many studies link consumption of fish oil to reduced depression, a 2011 meta-analysis by Yale University researchers debunked the idea that omega-3s alleviate the blues.”

Increased fish and fish oil consumption increases prostate cancer risk

Men who eat fatty fish or take fish oil supplements have a 71 per cent higher risk for dangerous high-grade prostate cancer, according to research published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. This research was widely reported in the Melbourne Age, the Herald Sun, and ABC Science online.

In 2011 the same team of researchers published similar findings, that high blood concentrations of DHA more than doubled the risk of prostate cancer.

According to Ian Olver, chief executive of the Australian Cancer Council:

“The reality is that if something is good for you, it doesn’t mean that 10 times of it is better. It is unlikely someone would be diagnosed with a deficiency of fish oil. There is a view out there that extra vitamins and antioxidants are good for you. And people take more thinking that more is better.”

Fish oil won’t make your baby brainer

It has been thought that omega-3 fatty acids, consumed via oily fish or in fish oil capsules, could possibly boost fetal brain development in the womb.

However, research indicates that pregnant women taking fish oil supplements don’t improve their baby’s brain function or intelligence.

In this study, researchers led by Maria Makrides of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute in Adelaide analyzed date gathered from 300 families in which the mothers had consumed 800 milligrams of an omega-3 supplement per day during their pregnancy.

The study authors compared results from the children of mothers who hadn’t taken the supplements with the children of those who had. Crucially, by the time they reached the age of 4, boys and girls born to the group taking the supplements showed no advantage when it came to language, memory, problem-solving and/or reasoning skills, according to the researchers.

Dr. Catherine Herway, assistant director of maternal-fetal medicine at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City, was quoted in an online article as saying:

“It is very appealing to say to a woman that if she takes a pill every day, her baby will become smarter. The reality is that despite all of our advancements in modern science, the best advice remains the same: To optimize maternal and fetal health, there remains no substitute for a well-balanced diet.”

There are several potential pitfalls with using fish oil, including:

• Fish oil may contain toxins and contaminants that have accumulated in the environment, including arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, PCBs and dioxins.
• Fish oil supplements may cause nausea, diarrhea, loose stools, decreased appetite, constipation, vomiting and fat in the stool.
• Fish oil has a limited shelf-life, and may become rancid (researchers at New Zealand’s Crop and Food Research Institute tested capsules from an array of brands from countries all over the world and discovered that a majority of the capsules they tested had begun to oxidize).
• Some people have fish or shellfish allergies.
• Regular consumption of fish oil can cause unpleasant fish breath or “fish burps”.
• Over-fishing of target species and krill for oil production can seriously deplete fish stocks and food for other marine animals. For example, an April 2011 article published by “Nutra Ingredients” reported that some penguin populations have fallen 50 per cent due to a fall in the availability of krill.

Plant sources of Omega 3

As a vegan, I do not eat fish or take fish oil. So, if I don’t get my omega 3 fats from fish or fish oil, then where from?

Flaxseed (flax) is the richest source of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) containing 50 – 60% omega-3 fatty acids, and lignans (powerful anti-oxidants), that researchers have found helpful in preventing heart disease, protecting against inflammatory disorders and certain cancers, and lowering your cholesterol. Flaxseeds add a mild, nutty flavour to a variety of foods and are an excellent source of fibre, high quality protein and potassium.

One of the limitations of Flaxseed Oil (apart from not being recommended for heating and cooking) is that the body has to convert its ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) into EPA and DHA, the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. Some researchers think that flaxseed oil might have some of the same benefits as fish oil, but the body is not very efficient at converting ALA into EPA and DHA (conversion efficiency may be as low as 5 per cent).

Omega 3 from algae – getting it from the source

Did you know that fish don’t naturally produce omega 3? The omega 3 fatty acids obtained from fish that humans eat originally comes from the algae the fish eat. Extracting DHA and EPA omega 3 fatty acids from algae means you’re getting it straight from the source – clean and green.

There are several benefits by taking omega-3 supplements from a plant (algae) source, including:

• You get all the benefits of fish oil omega-3, without concerns about impurities, contaminants, or of course diminishing fish stocks – this is a fully sustainable source of omega-3, and much more environmentally friendly.
• It’s better for everyone, including vegans, vegetarians, pregnant and breastfeeding women.
• Research indicates that pure algae-sourced omega-3 is more effectively absorbed by the body than fish oil.
• The balance of DHA and EPA fatty acids is at least as good, if not better than fish oil in terms of health benefits, and superior to Flaxseed Oil.

Some brands of plant-sourced omega-3 oil I have used and recommend are Dr Fuhrman’s vegan supplement DHA+EPA Purity, Deva, which is 100% vegan, vegetarian and is certified by the Vegan Society, the non-profit organization that actually invented the word “vegan”, and Opti-3.

Other brands that you may like to investigate include Green Omega 3  and Lifestream V-Omega 3 .

A final word: please follow this advice from Web MD : Before you start using any supplement, you should always discuss it with your doctor or health care provider. He or she may have specific recommendations — or warnings — depending on your health and the other medicines you take.

Tom Perry

Flaxseeds – a nutritional powerhouse

What are flaxseeds?

Flaxseeds, otherwise known as linseeds, are tiny seeds that were cultivated as early as 3000 BC in Babylon. They are found in many processed foods, from crackers to frozen waffles. The American Flax Council estimates close to 300 new flax-based products were launched in the U.S. and Canada in 2010 alone.

Why is flaxseed good for you?

A WebMD article by Elaine Magee, MPH, RD lists the health benefits of this little seed that packs a huge punch in the healthy food stakes.

The myriad health benefits of flaxseed can be attributed to three main factors:

1. Flaxseeds are one of the best plant-based sources of essential omega-3 fats. Flaxseeds contain 50 to 60 per cent omega-3 fatty acids in the form of alpha linolenic acid (ALA). A tablespoon of flaxseeds contains about 1.8 grams of omega-3.
2. Flaxseed contains 75 to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods. Lignans are phytoestrogens which researchers have found helpful in preventing heart disease, protecting against inflammatory disorders and certain cancers, and lowering your cholesterol.
3. Flaxseeds are also rich in B vitamins, dietary fibre, protein and potassium.

Golden vs Brown Flaxseed

There are two types of flax seeds, golden and brown coloured flaxseeds. Brown flax seeds is usually easier to find than golden flax seeds. Some argue that golden flax seeds are superior than brown but according to a recent study done by Canada Grain Commission, evidence points to nutritional equality of brown and golden flax seeds

Lignans may help protect against cancer by blocking enzymes that are involved in hormone metabolism and interfering with the growth and spread of tumor cells. Studies indicate that flaxseed may have a protective effect against breast cancer, as well as other cancers such as prostate cancer, and colon cancer.

Plant-derived omega-3 fats may help the cardiovascular system through several different mechanisms, including anti-inflammatory action and normalizing the heartbeat. New research also suggests significant blood pressure-lowering effects of flaxseed.

“Lignans in flaxseed have been shown to reduce atherosclerotic plaque build-up by up to 75%,” says Kelley C. Fitzpatrick, director of health and nutrition with the Flax Council of Canada.

Eating flaxseed daily may also help manage your cholesterol levels. The level of LDL or “bad” cholesterol in the bloodstream has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

Findings published in the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition found that the seeds (not flaxseed oil) can reduce total and LDL (bad) cholesterol by a significant amount, particularly in post-menopausal women. A study published in the Journal Of Clinical Oncology found that ground flaxseed slow the growth of prostate cancer tumours.

How should you use flaxseed in your diet?

• Add flaxseed (ground or whole) on cereal, added to homemade bread, mixed into soups and stews, or blended into smoothies.
• Make flaxseeds gel by combining ground flaxseed with water, and use it to thicken soups or dessert.
• Make flax-egg by mixing 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water and used it as an egg replacement in baked goods.

Do you have flaxseed in your diet, and if so, how do you consume it?

Tom Perry

Further Reading and References:

• Nutrition and cancer: A review of the evidence for an anti-cancer diet, Michael S Donaldson Nutrition Journal 2004, 3:19  doi:10.1186/1475-2891-3-19. 
• WebMD – Benefits of Flaxseeds Elaine Magee, MPH, RD on July 20, 2011
• NutritionFacts.org – Flaxseeds Breast Cancer Prevention

Where did Paleo come from?

I loved watching ‘The Flintstones’ when I was a kid (showing my age, I know!). This cartoon, set in the stone-age, was a pioneering sitcom reflecting 1960’s suburban life in America, and poked fun at the vain, lazy, and self-absorbed Fred Flintstone; long before Homer Simpson existed.

But did I believe that ancient humans actually lived like that? Of course not!

It’s a natural human tendency to idealise or romanticise the past, especially when it’s so far back in the mists of time.

The ‘Paleo’ diet is a food fantasy cleverly marketed as dietary ‘cure-all’ harking back to a mythical stone-age past. It’s been around for quite a while, too, in some form or another.

In his 1975 book ‘The Stone Age Diet: Based on in-depth Studies of Human Ecology and the Diet of Man’ Walter L. Voegtlin argued that that the ancestral human Paleolithic diet was that of a carnivore — chiefly (animal) fats and protein, with only small amounts of carbohydrates.

In 1988 S. Boyd Eaton, Marjorie Shostak and Melvin Konner published a book about Paleolithic nutrition. From the end of the 1990s, some medical doctors and nutritionists promoted a return to a so-called Paleolithic (pre-agricultural) diet.

In 2002, Dr Lauren Cordain, who holds a doctorate in physical education, published his bestselling book “The Paleo Diet” that summarized research on the subject and provided practical advice on “the diet you were designed to eat”.

So, was Fred Flintstone and his buddies really hairy-chested hunters of woolly mammoths? While it’s true that Fred worked at the Slate Rock & Gravel Company in the town of Bedrock, the short answer is ‘no’.

The Problem with Paleo

The Paleolithic period is the earliest period of human development, and lasted from 2.6 million years ago to about 12,000 years ago, across many continents, and during a wide range of climatic conditions (including a few ice ages). Apart from the huge variations in time, location and climate, there are several other anomalies with Paleo that were detailed in a Scientific American article:

• Put simply, true Paleo foods are not around anymore, and certainly not in your local supermarket. Almost every species commonly consumed today—whether a fruit, vegetable or animal—is vastly different from its Paleolithic predecessor. Animals and plants used for consumption have been genetically bred and modified to increase production and favour preferred features (such as bananas without seeds) to such an extent that it is now impossible to eat like a human from the Paleolithic period – short of taking a historical ride in a time machine!
• Contrary to Paleo proponents’ claims, Paleolithic humans did eat grains and legumes, and may have even cooked them. Recent research out of Italy shows that humans were eating grains well before modern agriculture. Marta Mariotti Lippi and her colleagues at the University of Florence found traces of oats on an ancient grinding tool in Southern Italy dating 32,000 years ago, about 20,000 years before farming was developed. Lippi says this isn’t the only instance of evidence pointing to ancient people eating starch. “In Central Italy they ate starch from cattail,” Lippi said. “In the Middle East, starch from wild wheat. In Russia and Moravia, they were eating starch, but we do not know which plants they processed.” And don’t forget, legumes and whole grains are excellent sources of fibre, protein, and other phyto-nutrients that form part of a healthy diet.
• Humans have evolved since 12,000 years ago, in contrast to Paleo lore, which teaches that our eating preferences are stuck in the stone-age. Genetic mutations, such as a tolerance for dairy in some populations, blue eyes, some people evolving extra copies of the amylase enzyme so they can more easily digest starches, have all occurred with the last 5,000 to 10,000 years. It is clear our bodies are easily capable of evolving fast enough in 12,000 years to accommodate new foods.
• Paleo diets can induce weight loss, but in an unhealthy way. Too much animal fat and animal protein can lead to a host of health problems. It is also ethically problematic. According to vegan dietitian Amanda Benham;

“Any diet [such as Paleo] that requires animals to be slaughtered, exploited or kept in captivity has something seriously wrong with it from an ethical viewpoint. Also I don’t recommend them on health grounds. They encourage unhealthy eating patterns such as high consumption of animal products (such as meat and eggs), which are loaded with saturated fats and cholesterol and devoid of fibre and other beneficial plant components. In the long run they unsustainable and any weight lost is readily regained.

“Another problem with diets high in animal products is that they have a much larger environmental footprint than plant-based diets. Producing food from animals requires a much greater use of resources such as land, water and fossil fuels than producing food from plants. It is also a waste of food itself to get our calories and protein from animal products, as many more times the amount of protein and calories from plants must be fed to animals than is actually produced. Also, raising cattle and other ruminants for meat and/or milk production is a major contributor to global warming via methane gas production.”

Our true Paleo history

In a Scientific American article Rob Dunn, science writer and biologist in the Department of Biology at North Carolina State University, argues that when taken too literally such diets are ridiculous.

One problem is deciding which group of ancestors to take our dietary advice from. Are the stone-age diet gurus Neanderthals, Homo Erectus or the Flintstone Family (Brontosaurus ribs anyone)? If we look at our closest ape relatives, chimpanzees, the answer to our dietary past is clear – it was mostly vegetarian. Chimpanzees do sometimes kill and devour a smaller animal like a monkey. However the proportion of the diet of the average chimpanzee composed of meat is small, less than 3% by mass. As Rob Dunn notes:

“The majority of the food consumed by primates today–and every indication is for the last thirty million years–is vegetable, not animal. Plants are what our apey and even earlier ancestors ate; they were our paleo diet for most of the last thirty million years during which our bodies, and our guts in particular, were evolving.”

So, to return a healthy, halcyon ancient diet regime Rob Dunn has more advice:

“If you want to return to your ancestral diet, … you might reasonably eat what our ancestors spent the most time eating during the largest periods of the evolution of our guts, fruits, nuts, and vegetables—especially fungus-covered tropical leaves.”

Hmmm – perhaps we’ll leave the fungus-covered leaves out of our green salad for now…

Rather than dwell too much on what our ancient ancestors ate, the key question is, what is the healthiest option right now, today? Whether you eat meat or meat alternatives, it is clear from mainstream nutrition advice that most of our diet should consist of fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts and complex carbohydrates (whole grains).

References:

http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/national/resource/healthy-living-pyramid

http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_diet.htm#tip4

https://www.drfuhrman.com/library/foodpyramid.aspx

Tom Perry